Rush Elaine C, Freitas Ismael, Plank Lindsay D
Faculty of Health and Environmental Sciences, Centre for Physical Activity and Nutrition Research, AUT University, Private Bag 92006, Auckland 1020, New Zealand.
Br J Nutr. 2009 Aug;102(4):632-41. doi: 10.1017/S0007114508207221. Epub 2009 Feb 10.
Although there is evidence that Asian Indians, Polynesians and Europeans differ in their body fat (BF)-BMI relationships, detailed comparative analysis of their underlying body composition and build characteristics is lacking. We investigated differences in the relationships between body fatness and BMI, fat distribution, muscularity, bone mineral mass, leg length and age-related changes in body composition between these ethnic groups. Cross-sectional analysis of 933 European, Maori, Pacific Island and Asian Indian adult volunteers was performed for total and percentage of BF, abdominal fat, thigh fat, appendicular muscle mass, bone mineral content and leg length measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Asian Indian men and women (BMI of 24 and 26 kg/m2, respectively) had the same percentage of BF as Europeans with a BMI of 30 kg/m2 or Pacific men and women with BMI of 34 and 35 kg/m2, respectively. Asian Indians had more fat, both total and in the abdominal region, with less lean mass, skeletal muscle and bone mineral than all other ethnic groups. Leg length was relatively longer in Pacific men and Asian and Pacific women than in other ethnic groups. In Asian Indians, abdominal fat increased with increasing age, while the percentage of BF showed little change. In the other ethnic groups, both abdominal and total BF increased with age. In conclusion, ethnic differences in fat distribution, muscularity, bone mass and leg length may contribute to ethnic-specific relationships between body fatness and BMI. The use of universal BMI cut-off points may not be appropriate for the comparison of obesity prevalence between ethnic groups.
尽管有证据表明亚洲印度人、波利尼西亚人和欧洲人的体脂（BF）与体重指数（BMI）关系存在差异，但缺乏对其潜在身体成分和体型特征的详细比较分析。我们研究了这些种族群体在体脂与BMI、脂肪分布、肌肉量、骨矿物质质量、腿长以及身体成分的年龄相关变化之间关系的差异。对933名欧洲、毛利、太平洋岛民和亚洲印度成年志愿者进行了横断面分析，通过双能X线吸收法测量了BF总量和百分比、腹部脂肪、大腿脂肪、附属肌肉量、骨矿物质含量和腿长。亚洲印度男性和女性（BMI分别为24和26kg/m²）的BF百分比与BMI为30kg/m²的欧洲人或BMI分别为34和35kg/m²的太平洋男性和女性相同。与所有其他种族群体相比，亚洲印度人的脂肪总量更多，腹部脂肪也更多，而瘦体重、骨骼肌和骨矿物质更少。太平洋男性以及亚洲和太平洋女性的腿长比其他种族群体相对更长。在亚洲印度人中，腹部脂肪随年龄增长而增加，而BF百分比变化不大。在其他种族群体中，腹部和总BF均随年龄增长而增加。总之，脂肪分布、肌肉量、骨量和腿长的种族差异可能导致体脂与BMI之间存在种族特异性关系。使用通用的BMI切点可能不适用于比较不同种族群体之间的肥胖患病率。
